May 15, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
395 
which is much sought after in Ireland, was for the third time 
shown in a distinct class, and quite kept up their character for 
symmeh'y, early maturity, great weight, lean mutton, and wool, 
which it had gained at the previous meetings at Leeds and 
Canterbury. However, in reverting to the former exhibitions 
we could find no animal at ttis exhibition equal to the aged ram 
two years three months and three weeks which took the first 
prize at the Warwick meeting, that being the best sheep of any 
breed or type we had ever seen, and we were informed belonged 
to Mrs. Baker, nor have we ever since a sheep of any breed or 
race to equal it in all points. It was, however, not of the South 
Down cross, nor could we ascertain the mixed races which it 
represented in so many important respects. Still we found this 
breed exhibited in grand form at Battersea by taking the best 
animals into consideration, but they varied very much both in 
character and quality, which made the task of adjudication a 
difficult one. We took size and early maturity as the first con¬ 
sideration ; but taking these sheep on the whole we did not think 
them up to the average of some former years, and there was 
certainly not a perfect animal in Class 1 amongst the sixty 
shearling rams exhibited. In Class 2 there were only twenty- 
four animals in competition, but their high character quite com¬ 
pensated for the short number shown. The three prize sheep 
were wonderfully fine animals ; and this only accords with our 
previous observation of the best-bred stock of the Shropshire 
tribes, for in all the meetings we have attended where the aged 
rams were shown in competition with other short-woolled sheep, 
which was the case previous to the meeting of the Royal Society 
at Warwick, they were superior in their weight for age and 
general points to the other breeds in competition as aged sheep, 
but they could not reach the valuable character of the Hampshire 
Downs as shearlings. 
It is not very important whether this breed of sheep is an 
original one, for it is certainly an established one, and the type, 
style, and character can be perpetuated. This breed has risen 
into note steadily but surely, which is strong evidence of the 
general estimation in which they are held by graziers in the 
midland counties particularly, as well as in Ireland, and also in 
foreign countries to which large exportations have been made 
for several years past and purchased at large prices. 
We will now describe the character of the breed, and it may 
be remembered that since the extraordinary exertions of the late 
Lord Chesham of Latimer to improve the Down character of the 
sheep, many of which as prizetakers have partaken so much of 
the South Down character in many respects as to induce the 
uninitiated observer to think that they were pure-bred South 
Downs. They combine the symmetry and quality of the South 
Down with the weight of the Cotswold; they possess the fatten¬ 
ing tendency of the Leicester without their delicacy of consti¬ 
tution. Their tendency to fatten is connected with such a 
development of flesh and lean, that a remarkably marbled or 
mixed fat and lean meat is produced, which may be presented 
on any table in the kingdom, and especially at the banquets of 
the wealthy classes of society, where the excessive fatness of 
the Leicester sheep is particularly objectionable. The price of 
this mutton ranks with that of the South Down in the market, 
and when this is a fact, with sheep ranging from 35 lbs. to 
40 lbs. per quarter, at the same time carrying fleeces of excellent 
quality, and weighing from G lbs. to 10 1 & 3 . per fleece, it must be 
considered that such a breed is of great importance and value to 
the graziers and dock-masters. Crossing has been attempted in 
various ways, but with any long-woolled breed in admixture the 
quality of the mutton has deteriorated with a loss of hardihood 
and constitution of the progeny, and this cross also is not able 
to withstand the inclement weather of the highlands of the 
western counties and districts. For these reasons the Leicester 
cross is objected to. 
Our observation of the style and character of the Shropshire 
sheep induces us to believe that the point of early maturity or 
weight of the sucking lambs, or those from six to nine months 
old, may not only be increased, but the quality also by a cross 
between the Hampshire Down ram and the Shropshire ewe; for 
it is well known that in the shearling ram classes, when the two 
breeds were exhibited in the same class at the Salisbury and 
Chester meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society of England 
in 1857-58, that the Hampshires were superior to the Shropshires, 
but in the aged class there were instances in which the latter 
beat the Hants Downs. Quite independent of this question of 
early maturity there is another of vast importance, for in mating 
the Shropshire ewe with the Hampshire Down ram we should 
expect the increase of the number of lambs would be great. We 
could not put the number of lambs obtained from the Hampshire 
Downs at more than a lamb to each ewe, whereas the Shropshires 
cannot be put at less than 125 lambs to the 100 of ewes. We 
shall, however, farther on give information relative to the increase 
of certain flocks, and which will prove our case in regal'd to the 
great increase of lambs to be reared from the cross-breed we have 
referred to. 
In some cases a cross with the Cotswold has been tided, but 
it has not been received with more favour than with the Leicester, 
nor is there any reason to expect any increase of the number of 
lambs through the Cotswold cross than is obtained now by the 
Shropshire stock as now established. Scarcely any increase of 
weight has been gained by a Cotswold cross, but the quality of 
the Shropshire Down mutton has deteriorated in consequence. 
With ordinarily liberal feeding the Shropshire hoggets will weigh 
20 lbs. per quarter at twelve months old, and at twenty months 
old will frequently average 35 lbs. per quarter through the flock. 
There is, therefore, no important advantage to be obtained by 
the increase of weight; in point of fact, if there had been, some 
strong reasons must have been shown to induce the breeders (o 
sacrifice the point of quality, which is so prominent a feature in 
the jealous care which has brought the Shropshires up to their 
present position. 
Young men commencing business as flock-masters should give 
their attention to certain facts which hold good throughout the 
great majority of breeds of sheep even in their improved cha¬ 
racter, for we may with little trouble trace it in the wild and 
original classes of mountain or forest breeds. For this reason, 
as a rule, we cannot obtain first-class mutton from long-woolled 
breeds of sheep, taking the meaning of quality as being a fair 
admixture of fat and lean meat in animals fed for the butcher. 
Although some animals will prove heavier at weight for age, yet 
if they are of a long-fleeced variety they are sure to yield an 
undue proportion of fat compared with the lean, at the same 
time it is not so well mixed and marbled. In support of this 
argument the Shropshires which Lord Chesham has exhibited 
in the improved form, both in shape and wool, as well as general 
character, have been so nearly of the same style and type as to 
be almost a counterpart of the pure South Downs ; at any rate 
we have seen them in show pens, especially the ewes, when to a 
novice in these matters there was little to distinguish them, 
except that the Shropshires were larger and heavier, and the wool 
a little coarser and longer in the staple than that of the pure¬ 
bred South Downs. These observations we can recommend to 
the careful attention of breeders of some other short-woolled 
varieties. The attempt to obtain the greatest weight for age of 
their stock in some respects is regarded as an improvement of 
certain breeds, and we regret to say that judges of the present 
day are frequently apt to consider if form, &c., are equal on the 
day of exhibition, that those which will yield the greatest weight 
for age deserve, irrespective of quality, to be rewarded by the 
judges’ approval, without reference to the original character of 
the breed. Let us name the Hampshire or west county Downs, 
which on their first being allowed a separate class at the Royal 
and other exhibitions, those most approved, although being of 
large size and great weights, were possessed of a style and wool 
nearly approaching that of the pure South Down. But within 
the past seven years especially, even those exhibited under the 
same denomination as Hampshire Downs, sheep having a 
deeper and coarser wool, have been placed before the highest 
bred and those yielding the best quality of mutton; in fact, 
the question has been decided by weight for age. 
It is in this way that the character of the improved Hampshire 
Down, reared and selected with so much care for more than 
twenty years by the late Mr. Humphrys of Oak Ash, Chaddle- 
worth, Berks, and afterwards maintained by Mr. James Rawlence 
of Wilton, Wilts, and others, with much strictness and care, 
have actually disappeared altogether in their pure and original 
form. Still some exist in various flocks, which are jealously 
guai'ded in the interest of their breeders, and may one day come 
to the front again in the hands of some intelligent and far- 
seeing flock-master, while those who are breeding their sheep with 
coarser wool and still exhibiting them as Hampshire Downs will 
not be able to control the movement brought about by the idea 
of weight for age, or in the pursuit of weight for age chiefly, 
will be found no better than deserving only to be merged and 
mixed with the Oxford Downs. One more observation upon 
this point we must make is that as it is said, and truly, that 
nothing ever stands still, but that it must either improve or 
recede, so it is with breeds of sheep; for it is almost impossible 
to retain the merit of quality in any breed of sheep if we attempt 
to improve them in their weight for age by growing longer and 
coarser wool. We have minutely stated these ideas, because 
they are as applicable to the Shropshire Downs of Lord Ches- 
ham’s style and type as they have been in connection with the 
Hampshire Downs as bred by Mr. Humphrys. 
We must now refer to the Shropshire sheep as they advanced 
